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== QUEST MECHANICS PIC ==

Previous threads: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Gnoll%20Quest
Twitter (for announcements): https://twitter.com/gnollqm

Welcome to Gnoll Quest #8. This thread is aimed to be more freeroam than the previous ones. If you played Lioncat Quest, it should be something similar to that. There may be some adjustments to mechanics in the course of this thread, but hopefully things go well enough that it’s not needed.

By the way, some of you probably read at the QTG and Twitter that I’d try turning this quest into comic strips. Well, that was a bad idea in retrospect. The update time would go up exponentially, not really worth it, so I'm gonna have to stick to the traditional format. Sorry in case any of you were interested in seeing that style.

>>5128028
HERE WE GO AGAIN

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RECAP OF PREVIOUS THREAD

Surrounded by yummy prey servants, you take what may be the hardest bath of your life. Well, it's the first one anyway, but it's still pretty damn difficult as you can barely contain yourself from turning the workers into your snacks.

Surprisingly, you end up resisting your urges and even engage in conversation with them, who give you useful information about each Council member. All in all, they’re nice ladies, if a bit too friendly and trusting for their own good. You also ask one of them – an excitable goat woman – to clean up the mess in your room, just in case Farren brings that up during the meeting with the Council.

After you’re finished with the bath, you leave and pick Datz on the way, who also had lots of trouble keeping herself from attacking the servants at the women’s bathhouse. Clean and ready, Arthur escorts the two of you to the meeting with the Council, which is about to start.

In the meanwhile, Hawkodesh explains that the prideful dwarves are going to do everything in their hands to avoid acknowledging you as the Champion out of spite for gnolls. Even though High Priest Aaron knows you’re the chosen of Anu, he doesn’t have the dwarven balls to stand up for his faith and declare you the saviour in front of everyone.

The meeting is a total disaster, as expected. The Cpuncil accuses Datz and you of being demon spies, and not even showing them your wings convinces them otherwise. If that isn’t bad enough, Farren tries to get his dirty hands on Datz by trying to assign her to work in the mines, essentially separating the two of you.

In the end, thanks to your insistence and Aaron’s mild support, the Council decides to let Daitza remain by your side and give you a chance to prove yourself. In no more than two days, you are to venture into the demon-infested catacombs located on the last floor of the fortress, destroy the source of taint and retrieve the Lunar Armor - a holy dwarven artifact that was stolen by demons during a siege. If you are unable to do this mission in the given deadline, you and your pal will be boiled to death.

Datz and you return to your room, which has been cleaned by the goat servant Daisy. Both of you rest a little bit to clear your minds from all stress, but also try to come up with a plan for today…

>>5128039
>Cpuncil
I see you use a QWERTY keyboard.

>>5128046
With that info we can finally track down The GnollQM.
By the way hi gnollqm :DDD

>>5128046
Damn it I've been found out

>>5128056
Hey there

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HOUR: 12:50

Daitza and you spend the next few minutes coming up with a plan for today. The optimism from a while ago has turned into concern regarding the short deadline you must meet… but you know there’s no point on lamenting over it. It’s best to set your mind on what you CAN do with the time you were given.

And so, with your eyes closed and your head resting on Datz’ lap, together you discuss everything you can do in the fortress. “Hmm… let’s see. We can go to that so-called church and ask the priests to teach us a thing or two about using Anu’s powers, OR we can go to the barracks, get into a fighting match and show the humielets how strong Bloodseekers are...”

“I like the sound of that!” Daitza exclaims with a naughty smile. “Maybe the humielets will stop messing with us if we assert dominance over them. They better do, for their own sake!”

You take a look at the scratches all over her face and arms, which remind you of your own injuries – and the mild pain that comes with them. “Oh man, we need to do something about our wounds. Training like this won’t do us any good…”

“Hm. Yeah...” Daitza looks down with a frown, clearly thinking about something. A few seconds after, her eyes swiftly open up and meet yours. “Hey, what if that alchemist dude Arthur mentioned has a concoction that lets us heal faster? From the way he described him, he seems to be an herbalist like Rakuta…”

You nod. “Doesn’t hurt to ask. Let’s just hope the dwarf is willing to share his stuff. If not, then maybe the ones working at that ‘hospital’ place can help us out.”

“Don’t go to the hospital” Hawkodesh suddenly says. “Your recovery would be slow. Very impractical given the urgency of the situation. The priests can teach you a new healing power, one that is different from Body Restoration, but effective nonetheless.”

“Wha- really?! Well, why didn’t you say that sooner!”

“Huh? Say what?” Datz looks confused.

“Not you, silly…” You smile. “My angel buddy says the priests of Anu can teach me a power to heal ourselves. Heading to the church seems like a great idea now, don’t ya think?”

“Umm, sure! Whatever works best.” Your pal shrugs contently. “Frankly, I’d love to see you cast a cool spell like the shaman does.”

1/5

>>5128063
>>5128056
>Not using ABCDEF

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“Arthur told us we should order a suit of armor with the 'blacksmith' or however that humielet is called" you say, trying to recall where to find him. "Remember the way to his place, Datz?”

She returns a weak nod. “Yup, like the palm of my hands, but… armor? Really?”

“Hm? What about it?”

“It’s, err… nothing. Nevermind.” Your pal shakes her head, smiling. “So, um, asides from training and finding a way to heal ourselves, what else should we do? I feel like we’re forgetting something…”

You feel exactly the same way. Daitza goes quiet and ponders for a while, so you do the same. A minute passes by…

2/5

>>5128078
>2 minutes ago

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“Luna!”

… And the two of you arrive to the same conclusion, at the same time.

“That little critter told us she wants to meet us at the abandoned mines” Daitza says, recalling the encounter with that funny wolf-bunny creature called Bark. “We should pay her a visit as soon as we can, Hyeny. I’m super curious about forest spirits...“ She sighs. “Well, I think those are all our options, right? Geesh, that’s a LOT of stuff to do...”

3/5

>>5128087
I wonder what’s this chicken’s beef with the wolf.

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The picture of Mom’s winged figure and the last words she told you in your dream suddenly come to mind. You haven’t forgotten about her, not for a single second.

“There’s one more thing I want to do, but… I’m not sure if we have the time for it.”

“Hmm? What is it?” Whatever Daitza sees on your face, it warrants a very curious look from her. She’s giving you all of her attention.

“Right after we were rescued by the dwarves, my mother visited me in a dream and said she had something to tell me. That’s when I woke up. I’d love to pray and speak with her again, but last time I did, I fell asleep for waaay too long... and I cannot let that happen a second time. Especially not now.” You go silent, unsure of what to do. Deep inside, you crave to see her again, but…

“Hyeny…” Daitza gently strokes your cheek, giving you a warm smile. “I know your mother is super important to you. You never got over her disappearance, so… it’s okay if you wanna talk to her now that you can. This is your call. Follow your heart.”

“Ahem!” Your yellow wingman clears his throat, preparing to barge in on the conversation. “Excuse me for interrupting again, but… Hyenus, all the angels are aware of how little time you were given for your mission. The course of time is a difficult thing to control, but I assure you that Mirabelle won’t keep you asleep for too long, in case you do decide to speak with her.”

That’s reassuring to hear. You’re glad Hawkodesh told you this. Now, with all things considered, it’s time to make a decision. There are many ways to start your quest in this fortress, and every second counts, so…

… What do you do now?

4/5

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TIME: 13:00 PM

(2 days until Datz and you are turned into gnoll soup)
(14:00 = Lunch time for fortress)
(20:00 – Dinner time for fortress)
(22:00 – Sleepy time for fortress)


== CHOOSE ONE OPTION ==

>Pray to Mom
>Go to a location in the current floor (see pic for reference)
>Go down to the 2nd floor (Farms, Slaughterhouse, Holyhaven Lake)
>Go down to the 3rd floor (Mines, Barracks, Dwarven Barricade)
>Go down to the 4th floor (Catacombs)
>Talk to Daitza
>Talk to Hawkodesh
>Rest 1 hour (recovers HP – see ‘Status’ and ‘RPG Mechanics’ pic to know the exact amount)
>Write in

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<--- Hyenus’ Status


== COMPANIONS ==

1) DAITZA (Level 5)

HP: 65 / 145 (45%)
STR: 14
AGI: 40
EXP: 400 / 700
Hand to Hand: 3
Evasion: 20

where's that plan for our 48 hours?

Someone repost it here.

>>5128098
>>5128102
Damn, is this a game of find the difference?
>>5128115
https://files.catbox.moe/k9m5h3.txt

>>5128120
Holy shit.

>>5128120
Nvm I found it on paragraph 5.
>>5128078
His patch is on the wrong side lol.
>>5128121
Just reposting bro.

>>5128132
Hey man i get it, just impressed someone made a document.
Anyways I think since it is almost lunch time we should go to the church first to try and learn some cool magics begore doing anything physical.
>Go to church

>>5128120
Autism at its finest.

>>5128107
>Go to church
If we go right now, we will receive 1 hour of training and then have some lunch.
>13:00
>PM
Also what kind of demon possesed the architects who designed the fortress?
I mean, just look at how far the bathroom is from the dining room.

>>5128107
>Go to church

We can pray to mom or anu during sleep time.

>>5128107
>Go to church

Let's challenge that snotty dwarf chancellor to Mortal Kombat!

>>5128299
What do you mean?

>>5128107
>>Go to church

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You think it over for a minute or two, and soon come to a decision. As much as you want to talk to Mom, it's wiser to leave your conversation with her for another time - maybe when you're about go to bed. For now, you have places to go, dwarves to meet and, above all, much, MUCH training to do.

Determined, you stand up and smile at Daitza. "Don't worry. I'll speak with my mother tonight. She understands we have very little time to spare."

"Umm... you sure? I mean, it's totally fine if you want to-" Without letting Datz finish, you lift her off the bed and, once more, carry her on your arms. She's surprised by the suddenness of your movements. "Woah! U-um, okay. I see you made up your mind, haha..." A smile grows on her face.

You walk up to your room's door, kick it open and find yourself again on the fortress' corridors. Now that you are free to do as you wish around these parts, it's time to conquer this damn place. First destination: the church! You bet those humielet priests can teach you many cool magics, including that healing power Hawkodesh mentioned...

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>Roll 1d100 for a random encounter. Only first roll counts

1-89: No random encounter
90: ??????
91: Angry dwarves
92: Aggressive drunkard
93: Yummy servant
94: Annoying kids
95: A cat attacks you
96: Questioning dwarf
97: Dwarf you healed at the hospital
98: Faithful dwarf
99: Find a random valuable on the ground
100: ??????

>>5128430

Rolled 3 (1d100)

>>5128430

Rolled 76 (1d100)

>>5128430

Rolled 87 (1d100)

>>5128430
oh was this a best of three? I didn't know there were cats in the fortress.

>>5128592
Don't worry, only the first anon's roll counts. This took long because I'm still drawing the church pic that will be used for all future visits along with other stuff.

Update coming out tomorrow

Rolled 5 (1d100)

>>5128430
random event

RANDUMB EVENT

PICKS! EYES!

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Anons we need to go back to basic here. Where are the eyeball stabs? Eyeball stabs are why we are here in the first place. Literally.

Next combat we have we must start off with an eyeball stab. Are we in agreement?

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>>5128691
When it comes to demons, beasts, monster, and abominations? Absolutely. For training sessions and sparing with dwarves? Maybe not.

>>5128732
No, we stab them in the eyes.

What's the point of combat training if we don't practice our main technique?

>>5128735
The same reason why going lethal is bad: we have to spend time resting instead of more training, and stabbing someone in the eye will not go well for us.

>>5128738
No, we stab them in the eyes because I say so.

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>>5128742
oh okay

>>5128738
the answer is clear

Make a training dummy that swings
Allocate space for where the eye would be
obtain dwarven war pick
AIM FOR THE EYE

>>5128691
Bruh, we don’t even have a pick for eyepicking right now. We would need to use our claws like an uncivilized gnoll.
>>5128735
We can also train our secondary technique: Awesome wrestling moves.
>>5128757
Lmao
>>5128889
Well, then we would need to ask a dwarf to make us one, because I’m pretty sure that the Yeen couldn’t sew up a dummy, and making one would take an eternity.

The real sad thing is that Hyenus won’t be making love anytime soon.

>>5128926
We don't need a pick for eyestabbing. Any weapon will do and eyestabbing is an art, nothing about it could be uncivilized even if we use our hands.

>>5128929
Sex! Seeeex! Seeeeeeeex! Sexsexsexsex SEEEEEEEX! Sex!

>>5128935
You took so long to appear that I had to summon you, Coomer.

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>>5128425
Guys...
>>5128430
Those walls are quite cracked. Wouldn’t that affect structural integrity?

>>5128962
Hyenus got the ability to bend his arm at a strange angle together with the ability to fly, the ability to speak any language and the voice in his head

>>5128930
Eyepicking is not the same as eyestabbing or eyeslashing. It requires a picking implement to be exercised properly.

>>5128962
Forgot to add: His shirt just spawned in again.

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God damn it I missed it again

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Update comes out in a few hours. Was supposed to be sooner but something came up.

>>5128175
Abdol Stonebender has been criticized for his excentric architectural design choices, which range from good to outright impractical. The bathrooms in the 1st floor, however, have served an unintentional purpose during demon sieges by allowing dwarves to pour acid and boiling water down the pipes onto demons. Some brave ones still use the toilets as originally intended

>>5128962
Everytime the demon portal opens during a siege, an earthquake shakes the fortress. Dwarves must fill the wall cracks with mortar, replace the bricks and do other reparations on a daily basis if they don't want the whole place to crumble into dust. Those cracks you saw will surely be repaired soon.

>>5128962
I'll try to avoid those oversights (especially regarding the clothes, damn those things) but expect a lot of QUALITY in the pics during this training arc. I'll be aiming for faster updates and tegaki is just so convenient for it. There will be better pics in certain situations though.

>>5129216
Fucking lol. Wonder if any demon tried infiltrating some crap through the shitter.

>>5129246
I imagine there's a Dagon demon with an especially long piece out there who would have a lot of fun with this sewage system

>>5129254
Thats where the acid comes in.

>>5129216
>Top 10 manliest dwarves
>>5129246
If they have acid, surely they must have figured out sewage traps.
I don’t doubt that some demons may have tried to do so anyways.

>>5129495
Now that probably took some classic Dwarf fortress trial and error.

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As you find your way to the church with the help of Datz' directions, you suddenly remember that your top half is naked! Damn it, why did you leave your room without dressing up properly first?! Granted, the air of the fortress is so unpleasantly hot that you'd love to go around with your bare chest exposed, but you cannot risk committing another infractio-

Wait a moment. Something is off here. You... you are not actually topless! When did you put this new attire on? You don't remember doing it in your quarters. This is so strange...

... Oh, right. Now you recall everything. While you were busy deciding whether to pray to Mom or leave it for later, you stood up from bed, grabbed a bunch of clothes from that big wooden box thingy, then laid down and rested your head on Datz' lap again. Yeah, that's what you did. Everything makes sense now...

Man, you know you can be absentminded, but this is way too much. It's weird how your body acts on its own sometimes without you realizing until much later. No wonder Dad and the others call you a sleepwalker - more than often you wake up next to another Bloodseeker, which has earned you plenty of beatings. The worst one was from two years ago when you woke up between Willow AND Rurk, right in the middle of their bed. You'll never forget how badly they kicked your ass that day. It's been months since the last time you walked while asleep, and you hope it stays that way.

Now, what were you doing?... Ah, yeah. Onwards to the church!

1/2

>>5129651
KEK.

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>TIME: 13:05 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOFm7ovzubI&ab_channel=GreatestMoments

A few minutes later of walking and doing your best to ignore the delicious servants passing by, as well as dwarves throwing you weird stares, Datz and you finally arrive to the church. You only gave it a quick glimpse from the entrance when Arthur showed you the way around the fortress, but now that you are calmer, you feel like paying more attention to your surroundings...

This 'church' place is unlike any other you've ever been to. It's quite different from the rest of the fortress, too. The room is almost as wide and tall as the Dining Hall, and there are many huge, colorful paintings hanging on the walls depicting people. Most of them look like dwarves, others not so much.

An immense painting of a dwarven Anu touching a naked humielet's hand covers up the entirety of the roof. It's the same one you saw at the Dining Hall. The sheer size of the thing and the effort that must have gone into it instills a sense of admiration in you, even if you find the work itself pretty lame. A ugly masterpiece is how you'd call it.

There are a dozen rows of seatings, all harmoniously lined up and pointing to a single direction. While most of them are unoccupied, some dwarves who were sitting and praying are disturbed by your arrival and give you a harsh glare, though a few others remain with their heads lowered, their deep meditation unbroken.

Several robed dwarves are here, too. You figure they must be priests of Anu. Aside from the oldest looking one greeting you with what's obviously a scowl, none of them seem to mind your presence. However, the seven priests standing in formation at the end of the room, behind a small central altar, don't seem to notice you at all. They appear to be completely focused on casting a holy spell with their powers combined, which illuminates the roof with a yellow light. It's an impressive sight.

"Hyeny..." Daitza whispers.

"Yes?..."

"We're definitely not in the tribe anymore..."

"... Yeah. We aren't." This place is so uniquely looking that you can't help but feel lost and far away from home. However, as scary as this whole experience is, it's still interesting... VERY interesting. A curious scout like your pal must feel the same way.

You're glad to experience these new wonders together. You're probably not going to see the forest anytime soon, but with Datz by your side, at least you will always carry a reminder of home with you, no matter where you go, no matter how crazy things get.

Well... that's enough contemplation for now. Back to business. You're here to learn new spells, and one of these priests should be able to help you out.

>Go up the stairs and talk to the gray-haired priest
>Take off your shirt and sprout your wings
>Sit somewhere with Datz and wait for a priest to approach you
>Write in

>>5129672
>Go up the stairs and talk to the gray-haired priest
He may not look very friendly, but we have no clue of what we should be doing, and he should at least be capable of explaining the situation to us.

>>5129672
>Sit somewhere with Datz and wait for a priest to approach you
>Take off your shirt and sprout your wings
>Pray to mom, but ask Daitzsa to shake you if a priest approaches
Flex time

>>5129672
>>5129722

Support

>>5129722
Attacking their gigantic ego will most likely make them furious, and although talking to mom would take little time, I doubt that it would take literal seconds.
>>5129730
Please do not.

>>5129737
I don't understand how we would be attacking their egos by taking off our shit, sprouting wings, and waiting for them to approach. Their prayer spell is probably going to take a while, so if mom makes the prayer TeamSpeak call quick it should be fine, right?

>>5129752
We would be commiting “public indecency”, and fall asleep on the church.
The gray-haired priest and some other dwarves don’t look too busy. They would surely try to wake us up if we fall asleep.

>>5129768
Oh you make a good point. Would you considered a compromise? We're wearing a vest, so if we just put on the vest backwards, we can safely sprout our wings, and still be clothed.
Huh. Why didn't we think of that before?

>>5129775
If you put a vest backwards, the holes will stay on the shoulders, not the back.

>>5129782
The problem is you cant confirm that. We can try it anyways, and if it doesnt work them we can commission the help of a servant to adjust some vests for us.

>>5129791
Yes, I did confirm that by putting on a vest. Hyenus’es wings sprout in between the shoulder blades and spine.

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>>5129791
Also, he is most likely wearing a short sleeved shirt, since that was the last thing we saw in the closet. We just can’t know because of his noodle arms.

>>5129703
>Go up the stairs and talk to the gray-haired priest

>>5129722
>>5129730
>Sit somewhere with Datz and wait for a priest to approach you
>Take off your shirt and sprout your wings
>Pray to mom, but ask Daitzsa to shake you if a priest approaches


I'm not 100% sure if 1Hqa4Z/5 retracted his vote or not but I think he did, so it's basically a tie between both choices right now. I'll tiebreak in 20 minutes if there isn't another vote

Guys???

>>5129844
Here, i'll do it
>Go up the stairs and talk to the gray-haired priest

>>5129844
I'm sticking with my vote

Okay, so it's:

2 for
>Go up the stairs and talk to the gray-haired priest

and 2 for
>Sit somewhere with Datz and wait for a priest to approach you
>Take off your shirt and sprout your wings
>Pray to mom, but ask Daitzsa to shake you if a priest approaches


Again, I'll tiebreak in 15 minutes unless some other anon supports either approach

>>5129722
Support, or maybe I should support the other anon

>>5129703
Support, or maybe I should support the other?

>>5129882
>Go up the stairs and talk to the gray-haired priest

>>5129897
Hah
_______________

Looks like Hyenus will go up the stairs and talk to the gray-haired priest

Writing

>>5129672
>Ask Hawkodesh about the proper etiquette for approaching and talking with a dwarves priest of Anu, and do that

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The gray-haired priest seems awfully familiar, though you can't quite put your finger on it. Most dwarves look ridiculously alike. Anyway, since he already caught your attention, you see no reason not to approach and talk to him.

"Hyeny, let me down for a minute" Datz asks. "My legs are getting sore..."

"Oh, okay." You do as she asks and gently put her down. She lightly flexes her knees, smiling and releasing a sigh of relief. "Aaah, much better!"

"Let's talk to that guy over there." You point at the priest, who stares at you, as if expecting you to come over. Daitza looks at him and nods. The two of you go up the stairs...

"HEY!!!" Suddenly, a raspy sounding voice reaches you, immediately making your movements come to a halt. Somehow, you've annoyed one of the priests - a very old, frail looking one, whose long hair and beard are completely white. The man approaches stomping his feet and with a none too friendly look on his wrinkled face. Just what you needed...

Everyone in the church turns their eyes to the scene, except for the seven priests casting the spell - who don't even flinch at the old man's scream. "Ahem!" The angry dwarf clears his throat, blocking your path. "What in heaven's sake do you think you're doing?!"

"Uhmm... we just want to talk to that priest over the-"

"UHMM?!" he yells, looking even more annoyed. "What kind of irreverent 'Champion' dares to imprudently step in the priests' zone and fail to properly address a member of the clergy?! You ought to call me your Eminence and kiss my hand! Here, kiss it!" He extends his right arm and shows you his hand. Man, you don't want your mouth to graze this ugly humielet's skin... is this really, REALLY necessary?

"What are you waiting for?! Kiss it!"

>>5129944

maybe we should've talked to Mirabelle

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Before Datz and you can react to the gesture, the gray-haired priest approaches with a tired expression. He holds a bottle containing a purple liquid inside, which he takes a sip of with great glee every few seconds or so. The strange cleric talks to his peer with a deep, bored tone that matches his face perfectly. "C'mon, Glorissor. Ye can't ask much from gnolls, let alone gnoll *outsiders* like these. It's a deadly combination."

"Yes, but... but still!" The old dwarf insists. "Murdock, if this gnoll is truly the saviour sent to us by Lord Anu, it is to be expected that he knows to be a proper Anustian! How- HOW can he forget such basic rules that common sense dictates?!"

"Well, clearly he doesn't have a clue about those things..." The drinking priest shrugs. "I mean, whatcha gonna do 'bout it? Complain to the Lord that He didn't send a 'proper' saviour or somethin'?

"What?..." Despite the casual tone of the other dwarf, his words seem to hit Glorissor hard. He lowers his gaze, his anger appearing to subside. "No, no, of course not... but there are *standards* he must meet, regardless."

The humielet called Murdock sips on his drink and sighs. "Listen, pal. Our guests here will learn to be courteous, sooner or later. Lemme' talk to them and see what they want."

Glorissor stares at Datz and you, remaining silent. Soon, he sighs. "Very well... I shall forgive this. Ignorance is no sin, though it IS annoying." He walks away from you, but glances over at the dwarf and his bottle one more time. "Murdock, you have been drinking all day. Are you sure it is not time to stop?"

"Relax. I know what I'm doi-" A loud burp escapes his mouth. The old dwarf rolls his eyes and goes away, this time for real. The rest of the church settles down and go back to their praying business.

>>5129951
Woah, is that blueberry sherry or something?

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Murdock lowers his bottle. He stares at Datz, then you, then Datz again, and finally back at you. "We're all doomed."

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing..." He sighs. "Well, so here you are. Pleased to meet ya', gnolls." Something about his expression tells you he's being sarcastic.

"I'm impressed that so many of you dwarves know Gnollish!" Daitza remarks with a surprised look. She's right - all the priests you've talked to so far, including this one, have addressed you in your native language, and they all speak it very fluently..

Murdock shrugs. "When you've got four hundred years to live, there's plenty of time to spare. Why not use it learnin' a language or two, especially one as simple as yours. Tribals don't have an ample vocabulary, so to say." He sighs. "So, I'm guessin' you didn't come here for friendly chat. You want something. I doubt you'd be wastin' your time when you only have two days before the Council makes gazpacho out of ye."

"How... do you know that?"

"News travels fast, kids. Those Council dudes sure applied an iron fist with ye..." He shakes his head, frowning. "... Buncha' jackasses, all of 'em. Those idiots don't have their priorities set straight. If they kill ye, the world is doomed. Simple as. That twerp of Aaron knows it better than anyone, so it surprises me he decided to submit to their will. The idiot doesn't deserve to be a High Priest."

"Wait, so... you KNOW I'm the Champion?"

The dwarf stares at you intensely for a moment before speaking. "Kid, I don't know how a gnoll like ye came to be His hand of justice. Nobody other than the Council knows yer story. I was told you're going to speak in front of the fortress during dinner time. Maybe things will be cleared out then, maybe not. All I know is this..." He steps forward and taps your belly with a finger, making you flinch. "You have an angel within you. Anu's got your back. That's somethin' I'm one-hundred percent sure of. Now, as to why the hell would He pick a gnoll as the saviour... that's beyond me."

He steps back, smacking his lips. A tired sigh escapes his mouth. "Look, I'm tired of questionin' everything. Sometimes, things are just the way they are. God's will is perfect, and His will is that you be the saviour. I don't need more than that."

"I'm... I'm glad you're on our side."

"Yes, it's... it's good to hear you support Hyeny."

"Bah!" Murdock scowls at your words of grattiude. "Cut it off and speak up already. Why are you here? I don't think you wanna learn the intrincacies of dwarven l o r e. Nah, you look the practical type..." He mutters a forced smile. "Shoot, or I'll go back to drinkin' my purple nectar."

== CHOOSE ONE TOPIC == (you can choose others later if you like, but one at a time)

>Ask if he can teach you how to cast spells
>Ask about the seven priests behind him
>Ask about dwarven l o r e (write in)
>Ask his opinion on... (write in)
>Say goodbye and go do something else (what?)
>Write in

>>5129944
God his EYE is so big. I want to poke it so so bad.

>>5129962
>Ask if he can teach you how to cast spells

>>5129962
>>Ask if he can teach you how to cast spells

>>5129962
>Ask if he can teach you how to cast spells

>>5129967
++

>>5129962
Holy shit there are based Dorfs after all, If only Aaron had half his balls we could been saved.
>>Ask if he can teach you how to cast spells
>>Ask his opinion on... (Adramus)
Anyway other than holy magic ask him about Adramus, back on the reunion everyone shut their mouths when he had something they called a "moment of clarity" could he tell us a bit about Adramus and what's going on with him?

>>5129962
>>Ask if he can teach you how to cast spells
If he seems worried about how long it might take, assure him we apparently have a gift to learn things at an accelerated rate.

Question is whether 2 days are still enough time to make anything out of it.

>>5129962
>“I’m heading to my quarters” Aaron says. “If you are interested in learning to use your… probably holy powers more effectively, you may head to the Church and ask the priests there to teach you.” He turns around and walks away, speaking as he leaves. “You have no time to waste. How you choose to spend these forty-eight hours will help us determine if you truly are the Champion we’ve waiting for.”
If it helps us in any ways, Maybe we should bring up the fact that Aaron actually suggested we come here to learn magic.

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>>5130135
2 days is potentially enough. The big footnotes we need to deal with is Brusca, Arthur, and the alchemist.

Brusca, I hope after helping out her brother, will become more amiable towards us and let us eat food that are a quality greater than food scraps (better food buffs). Else we'll have to settle with Bob.
Authur, if we can find him before the dinner event starts, we should be able to train.
The alchemist, if we can convince him to make potions for Daitzsa and Hyenus, will probably be more potent than any potion that Hyenus could make, meaning stronger potions which mill make Hyenus level up faster.

The alchemist will probably need a few speech checks. He can be bribed with ingredients and herbs we (Bark) collected from the cave. We could try appealing to his sense of empathy towards other dwarves by saying the majority of the potions we bring in could be used to heal all the injured dwarves, while all we ask is a few potions to help us train. We could also see if any of the priests can put in a good word in for us.
And, there's also asking the servants at the servants quarters how to butter up the alchemist i.e. lower DC to convince him to make potions for us.

Pic related should Hyenus get a sword?

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>>5129962
>Hyenus the sleepwalker
Hold the fuck up. I have an idea. Fuckermother I have a question for you. Can we capitalize on Hyenus's sleepwalking habits so he works out while he's sleepwalking? Can he sleep walk through several sets of crunches, pushups, planking, and squats?

>>5129962
>Ask about dwarven l o r e
Ask about ragnar.
Everyone talks about him all the time.
>>5130298
>Doing pushups while asleep
Nah, he may sometimes go from bed to bed, but training while asleep would require some serious hypnosis.
>>5129964
Cam on man.
>>5130294
No, it was decided that he would use a bec de corbin. It has eyepicking, bonking, and eyestabbing functions.

>>5130317
Maybe we can ask Anu for a sleep workout boon.

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>>5130328
Maybe.
Maybe we should ask the gods of fitness.

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>>5130332
There's only one god of gains worth worshipping

>>5130335
Who is that?

>>5129962
>Ask if he can teach you how to cast spells
plus this >>5130135 and this >>5130289

>>5130554
Its Zyzz.

You can only ask one thing.

>>5130574
But can't we mention the "accelerated learning" thing and the "Aaron wanted us to come here and learn magic" thing, while we ask to have him teach us spells?

>>5130582
Oh, that's fair, but how you word "accelerated learning" sounds like we're blowing our own horn too much. I agree with the general sentiment with it, and the Aaron parts though.

>>5129962
>>Ask if he can teach you how to cast spells
Based dwarf, as rare as gold.

>>5129962
>>Ask if he can teach you how to cast spells
Simple as,

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>>5129962
Hey wait a minute, isn't this the same dwarf that casted that really cool attacking barrier spell? He was part of the team of dwarves that rescued us and Daitzsa. We should thank him. He seems nice.
Use etiquette because this guy is nicer.
>"Nice to formally meet you your Eminence." (earn those brownie points)

Ask if there's an empty room we can change into to see if we can wear our vest on backwards so we can sprout our wings. I'm pretty sure the wings come of the middle of the back. We can check real quick after we learn some spells.

QM I don't think you gave us EXP for passing the DC 80 thing with Softgrip when they wanted to separate us from Daitzsa.

https://files.catbox.moe/v5nvh9.txt
Is anyone against getting more food, then visiting the servants dormitory's afterwards? Anyone have anything to add to this, better ideas, or altercations?

>>5130719
He sure has the same haircut and facial structure, although his hair has become gray. Maybe doing magic really drained his lifeforce.
We should ask him if he is the one who saved us.

>>5130725
>>5130719

Could've been the glow/lighting of the tunnel that made him look like that for all we know. His hair looks pretty dark-gray in the first place.

>>5130719
He looks like a pretty alright guy, but I think for now he wants us to get to the point so might as well flatly say we want to learn magic.

>>5130725
>>5130729
He looks pretty close to the dwarf pic I posted, and I can't find any other dwarf that looks as similar. Hyenus said he recognized this dwarf from before, so this is the only guy that comes to mind. I could be wrong, but I feel pretty good about this hunch.

>>5129962
Question: would the dwarves respect us more if we grew a beard?

>>5130901
Only if we also shaved oursleves completely, became twice as short and twice as wide, cut off our ears and snout, and… you get the idea

>>5130901
A better question:
Could Hyenus grow a beard?

>>5130913
>>5130916
With the right spell, we could toggle the beard option on and off.

>>5130719
>QM I don't think you gave us EXP for passing the DC 80 thing with Softgrip
You only get EXP to level up by fighting, training and passing physical checks as described here >>5128031. Wouldn't make much sense if your muscles got bigger by talking your way out of trouble, eh? In case you really wanted a form of progression by passing speech checks, then I can safely say passing two or three more will give you a perk that makes convincing dwarves slightly easier.

>>5130901
They would find it funny in a good way and soon grow to like it, but sadly you cannot grow a beard. You can, however, grow a temporal mane by smoking ekrole. Dwarves would also find it amusing.

Posting the update in a moment. Took me a while to write (it adds new mechanics) so it's going to be only one for today. I'll also take a day off tomorrow Sunday, so we are basically continuing this Monday, hopefully at a regular pace of 2 updates a day minimum.

>>5131012
>Can only grow more facial hair by doing drugs
Aw.

>>5131012
Okay? I asked because we got EXP from talking to beast folk and successfully not eating them.
Is it possible to grow a more permanent mane?

>>5131023
That was because resisting our hunting instincts is a serious mental strain, while talking to dwarves is just a nuisance and requires denigrating ourselves.

>>5131037
Ah. Well at least we know how to talk to dwarves to make things easier, and hey if we pass a few more we'll earn a perk for our efforts. I guess it ain't all bad.

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This guy's voice... you're absolutely certain you heard it before. "Murdock, are you the man who saved us at the cave?"

"Yup." He sips on his drink. "I didn't do it alone, tho'. Had help from the boys."

You knew it! This is the dwarf who told his companions to 'grab those fucking dogs and get out', words that referred to you and Datz. Rather blunt for a priest, but you can't complain. After all, he DID save your lives...

"Thanks for rescuing us, man" you say with a smile. Daitza nods and also thanks him. "I barely remember anything, but if you saved us, you have my gratitude."

Murdock stares at the two of you quietly, a corner of his mouth curling up. Suddenly, he snorts. "Heh. Two gnolls thankin' a dwarf, now that's somethin' you don't see every day..." He shrugs. "Just did what had to be done. No need to thank me."

"We owe you one. So, anyway... Aaron suggested we come here to learn magic. Can you help us with that?"

The cleric remains silent for a moment before answering. "No."

"Errr, why no-"

"Just kidding." He grins, exposing his yellow teeth. "Sure, I *can* teach you... but it ain't gonna be easy."

"What do you mean?"

"Listen. You can't 'learn' magic in a single session. Harnessing Anu's powers into spells ye can cast over and over again takes years of study and meditation. Hell, most priests take a whole *decade* to master a single miracle..." He goes quiet for a second, "What I'm sayin' is, you better spend these days trainin' your body, not delving into a discipline that takes so long to put into practice."

"Hyeny's case is different" Daitza says, placing a hand on your shoulder. The confused priest raises an eyebrow. "Hm?... Why?"

You clarify further. "The thing is, I can learn stuff at a much faster rate than most. It's one of the reasons Anu made me His champion."

"Oh..." A look of realization appears on the dwarf's mug. "I see. Hm, that's... odd." He shrugs and sighs. "Still, we're talking about learnin' a spell in less than TWO days, kid. That just ain't possible... I think."

"We won't know until I try, right?"

"Ye should be using your time wisely, tribal. Nobody can learn spells in such a short time. It's impossible, it's..." He goes silent, closing his eyes. Eventually, he opens them and meets your gaze again, giving you a lazy smile. "Aw, hell. Let's give it a try. It's not like I've got anythin' better to do." He looks at the painting on the roof. "... Besides, nothing is impossible to Lord Anu. Nothing."

"Awesome! Can we start right now?!"

"Uh-huh." You're not sure if it's your imagination, but the priest's eyes seem livelier than before. "I'll give ya a quick rundown of the fundamentals first, just so ye know what you're meddling with. After we're done with the 'boring' part, I'll show ya some basic spells, and you pick the one ye wanna focus on learning. Sounds good?"

"Hell yeah!"

"This is gonna be good!" says an excited Daitza.

Hawkodesh encourages you. "This is the beginning of something great, Hyenus."

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78SpNZYdFIg&ab_channel=FurlordOST


LIST OF SPELLS:

== TIER 1 == (Apprentice, 10 Focus):

1) Lunarskin: A magical layer surrounds a creature of your choice within the vicinity, protecting it from physical attacks. This spell can also be casted on yourself. The layer lasts until it sustains too much damage or its duration runs out. (Base Cost: 20 MP / hour. The layer has an amount of HP equal to this spell's Base Cost)

2) Healing Palms: By laying your hands on a living creature's body, you can heal its wounds, severe or otherwise. This spell can also be casted on yourself. (Base Cost: 25 MP. The amount of HP recovered is equal to the Base Cost)

3) Fists of Justice: Surrounds your hands in Anu's burning light, greatly strengthening the power of your unarmed attacks. (Base Cost: 6 MP per punch. Adds to your Strength value an amount equal to this spell's Base Cost. Only counts when fighting with your bare hands)

4) Telekinesis: Creates a temporal link between you and a physical object or another creature of your choice, allowing you to move it with the power of your mind. This spell is limited by how strong you are. (Base Cost: 2 MP / second)

== You have no access to TIER 2 spells == (Requires 20 Focus)

____________________

SPELL MECHANICS:

- Once you learn your first spell, you'll gain an MP bar (Mana) equal to 50% of your HP (Health). If you run out of MP, you cannot cast spells. Generally, you recover MP by resting or drinking potions, but there are less orthodox methods you might find out about later.

- Spells have a minimum requirement of Focus to be learned. Your Focus skill can be increased by passing mental and willpower checks, as well as meditating in the church.

- Learning a spell takes anywhere between 60 and 90 minutes. Afterwards, it will be added to your list of spells in the Status picture.

- Spells have a Base Cost that is lowered by 1% for each point in Focus. For example, 'Heal' has a Base Cost of 25 MP, but if your Focus level is 30, this value would be reduced by 30%, thus lowering the Effective Cost to 17 MP. However, the spell would still heal for an amount of HP equal to the Base Cost, which is 25.

- You can increase a spell's power by spending more MP casting it than the required minimum. For example, if you want to cast a Heal spell that is twice as powerful, you need to spend twice the MP. You cannot put something like 25%, 38% or 63,922% extra MP into a spell - only whole values of 100%, 200%, 300%, and so on. In the case of spells that have a duration (such as Lunarskin), the same rules apply: by spending more MP, you can increase its duration.

- Other trainers can teach you even more powerful spells of Anu.

____________________


Which spell will you learn?
>Lunarskin
>Healing Palms
>Fists of Justice
>Telekinesis

>>5131116
If Murdock needs help with anything, he should let us know. It's the least we could do, really.

>>5131023
Just to clear things up, there are two types of EXP: Level EXP, and Skill EXP.
Most Focus checks (mental challenges like not eating servants) will grant Skill EXP to Focus if you succeed, but not Level EXP.
Level EXP can be increased by succeeding at physical checks, fighting and training.

You can grow a permanent mane (like Rakuta's, the herbalist of your tribe) by smoking lots of ekrole joints in a row.

_____________________

Anyway, that's it for now. See you all this Monday. If any of you have any questions or doubts about the current choice regarding the spell choice, feel free to ask

>>5131156
>Healing Palms
We're fucking hurt. This is what we need immediately so we can fight our way through the cave to meet up with luna.

Can we level up Focus by casting spells?

>>5131166
Like we talking chain smoking twenty? Can we just stick a ton of joints in his mouth and smoke them all at once?

>>5131156
>>Lunarskin

Haha shield go clang

>>5131156
My spell review:
Lunarskin isn’t too energy expensive to maintain, but it still requires mana to do so, and provides a famelic amount of protection.
Healing palms is way better than Lunarskin since it actually removes damage debuffs and doesn’t constantly sap energy. The short range may be kinda problematic though.
Fists of Justice would be kinda good if we dumped a 10X mana multiplier, but we could miss, and I really think sharp edges can do better.
Telekinesis would be pretty good if we could also use our hands while the spell is active, and if we could dump more mana to lift really heavy stuff. Otherwise it would just be a gimmick.

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>>5131201
>Like we talking chain smoking twenty?
Something like that, yeah.

>Can we just stick a ton of joints in his mouth and smoke them all at once?
You could, but be careful. Overdosing on ekrole would lead to very strange stuff happening

>>5131156
Should we learn two spells?
Will be 2 or 3 hours, not a big price.
Healing Palms and Fists of Justice.

>>5131245
Are there spells that can boost strength or agility? What tier are they?
What tier are the spells we're trying to get?
https://files.catbox.moe/v5nvh9.txt
Sunlight spell, "looking weak" spell, attack barrier.

>>5131156
The injured debuff is reeally bad so.
>Healing Palms

>>5131194
>Can we level up Focus by casting spells?
You'd get +3 Focus EXP per spell cast up to 20 Focus, at which point you stop receiving EXP from Tier 1 spells and need to cast Tier 2 spells in order to get experience again.

>>5131265
>Are there spells that can boost strength or agility? What Tier are they?
Yes. They are Tier 2.
Sunlight spell and attack barrier are both Tier 3.
The "looking weak" spell exists among other deities' followers, but is not taught by dwarven priests of Anu. They are not fond of anything involving illusions or deception of any sorts.

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>>5131156
>Learning a spell takes anywhere between 60 and 90 minutes.
Gigachad hyenus getting decades of training in an hour.
>>5131194
There really are thresholds we shouldn’t cross.
>>5131248
We have other stuff to do, like packing on muscle and having lunch.

>>5131248
We should learn one spell, then leave to go grab lunch before it ends since we'll only have a little time to grab some food before it ends. Besides, we'll be blowing through jority of our MP healing Hyenus and Daitzsa, so we can't do much with a second spell when we run out of MP.

>>5131284
Is there a spell like Healing Palm, except if you're low or out of MP you can use your own HP to heal someone, or have a third party donor donate their HP to heal someone?

I think the Yamavera herb thing gives a +5hp when eaten raw. Is there an MP based herb that can give you MP?

>>5131156
>>Healing Palms
Then use it to heal Daitza, let's get our girl on top shape.

>>5131156
1) Lunarskin: A magical layer surrounds a creature of your choice within the vicinity, protecting it from physical attacks. This spell can also be casted on yourself. The layer lasts until it sustains too much damage or its duration runs out. (Base Cost: 20 MP / hour. The layer has an amount of HP equal to this spell's Base Cost)

>>5131245
Will buffs from foods, potions, powers, and spells stack? I want to stack STR and AGI.

If the Internal Clock power let's us accurately tell time, do we get a bonus to potion making since we can precisely tell when a potion is done cooking?

Whata the appeal for the Lunaskin and Healing palm spells? Arent we getting armor afterwards some time later?

>>5131306
>Is there a spell like Healing Palm, except if you're low or out of MP you can use your own HP to heal someone, or have a third party donor donate their HP to heal someone?
Gift of Life, Tier 2. You donate your own HP to another creature. Murdock doesn't know this spell, but another priest might be able to teach you. Unlike Murdock, it won't be so easy to convince them to help you.
All of Anu's spells dwarves know about are kept in big tomes in the Church. Priests don't learn all of them. Most of them dedicate themselves to learning about 7-9 spells during their lifetime.
Learning from priests is much faster than picking up a spell tome. Hyenus is not the reading type, regardless of his physical and spiritual potential. It would take him days of study time to learn a single spell.

>>5131338
>Will buffs from foods, potions, powers, and spells stack? I want to stack STR and AGI.
Yes, they can stack

>If the Internal Clock power let's us accurately tell time, do we get a bonus to potion making since we can precisely tell when a potion is done cooking?
No bonus. The power lets you tell time as accurately as if you were on the surface, but you're still susceptible to distractions and losing track of when you started doing something and for how long, which is what basically happened to you while cooking the Regeneration potion.

____________________

I'll come back this Monday to answer any more questions if there are more. See you all soon

>>5131156
> Healing Palms
This is the best choice at the moment, simply because it can massively speed up our and Daitzsa's recovery before the fight. Remember that natural healing is faster when we have more HP. We also might get some free healing if the dwarf decides to teach by example.
The extra HP of Lunarskin isn't as useful because obtaining it doesn't give us better rolls and improved regen.
Fists of Justice might pair nicely with Feral Speed but we should try to obtain weapons.
Telekinesis could potentially allow us to grab the lunar armor safely, however I feel that there's probably a catch. Feel free to convince me to change my vote to telekinesis

>>5131156
>Healing palms, lunar skin, and fists of justice
It'll most likely take around 4-5 hours especially if we need a break, but getting all of those at once to practice with for the next two days is worth it. We can take a break for food if needed, but should mostly focus on this first.
Also while we train we should see if one of the other priests will teach Datz about Anu or give her anything else useful.

>>5131156
Fists of Justice should be a priority. If we're going to be fighting real demons, we need to ramp up our offensive capabilities. If any of them have some kind of spiritual or esoteric protection, or a nonphysical form that can't be effectively harmed by physical weaponry, then FoJ as a "magical" form of attack might be our best shot at actually being able to inflict damage against the forces of darkness. We also wouldn't need to worry about training to use our fists/claws competently; we have no real familiarity with any weapons besides the spear, after all.

If we're getting Telekinesis as an option, I have a feeling there's going to be some kind of puzzle bullshit later where it's going to be useful. Like floating Daitsza across a gap or whatever to lower a drawbridge.

>>5131156
>Healing palms
I think that I will settle with that for now. Telekinesis sounds really tempting for special occasions though.

>>5131541
being able to continuously throw the same spear and bring it back is already good

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>>5131156
Can Murdock give us a list of priest that he thinks would be willing to teach us other magics?

>>5131422
Would the Focus attribute add a positive bonus to making potions?

>- Spells have a Base Cost that is lowered by 1% for each point in Focus. For example, 'Heal' has a Base Cost of 25 MP, but if your Focus level is 30, this value would be reduced by 30%, thus lowering the Effective Cost to 17 MP.
So we rounding down for base cost reduction?

>our Focus skill can be increased by passing mental and willpower checks, as well as meditating in the church.
Just how long would we need to meditate? I remembered that we leveled up our Focus quite fast at the bathhouse from 6 to 10 or something. Between meditating to increase our Focus, or being tied up while a dogbold and kobold slather each other in delicious gravy, the latter is a more tempting idea to level up Focus.

Our HP is 194, which means our MP should be 97. That means we would have four uses of Healing Palms: two for Hyenus (157/194), and two for Daitza (115/145) because Healing Palms ((25MP-10%)rounddown) is 22, which leaves us with 17 MP left.
Thaaaaat means we'd get +12 Focus EXP? Is that enough to level up Focus?

>>5131541
Should we though? Should we really go for that spell right now? It only adds +6 strength to our fists per punch. I mean I sound like I'm underplaying the value of the spell and I don't doubt it is valuable, but Hyenus is Wounded (-5 to combat rolls, -10% STR and AGI), while Daitza is Severely Wounded (-10 combat rolls, -20% STR and AGI). We need to put them both above 74% with Healing Palms before considering going to the abandoned mines to meet with Luna.

>>5131844
>4) Telekinesis: Creates a temporal link between you and a physical object or another creature of your choice, allowing you to move it with the power of your mind.
>This spell is limited by how strong you are.
>(Base Cost: 2 MP / second)
Telekinesis sounds like the best spell to have for muscle wizards, but I can see the MP cost being a bitch to deal with. We're still suffering from debuffs. You know. Pain.

>>5131541
>>5131844
You guys are being too narrow minded with telekinesis.
If it uses the Acceleration=Force/Mass formula, then we would be able to propel very small pebbles at armor piercing speeds. And instead of bringing back a spear, we could use it to stab people a few meters away from any angle, since we don’t actually have to grab it.

Question for QM:
Does telekinesis work for non-discrete objects, like pulling a certain volume of water from a lake?

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>>5131861
Ah shit I forgot how to Psychics class, maaaaan. Something about air resistance for small things making them slow down or veer off course, and needing to add a spin for accuracy. Instead of pebbles, we could use Telekinesis with arrows or balanced spikes. If we're too cheap for that we can cave rocks into rough pointy cone shapes.

>>5131875
>Arrows or balanced spikes
Nah, way too keavy to propel at decent speeds.
Friction is relative to area and speed.
We could try with marbles. They can’t yaw because they are spherical.

>>5131156
>>Healing Palms
Healing hyenus and datz free xp.

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>>5131156
I'm throwing this out there and guessing the purple stuff is a combination of an MP potion and booze, or just straight up booze.

>>5131886
but they don't go as far as arrows do they? else we would be using slingshots to kill things. Brain no work right now, but marbles aren't so good against penetrating through armor. Well, actually technically it can if we can telekinetically throw it hard enough that the marble says fuck you to the armor and fragments through it, but if we had something like a solid metal spike that won't shatter, I think it would deal more damage against armored foes.

Actually now that you mention it, this is a neat line of questioning. Marbles we could use against demons as improvised hollow point munitions since they're bound to shatter and spread if they hit bone. They'll deal a shit ton of damage to unarmored foes, but should only be used against those that we don't plan on eating. There's also the issue of expending MP, which is a delicately finite resource that takes time to recover, or bullshit through MP potions. Telekinesis might be better put towards puzzle solving, environmental control (triggering traps so they affect enemies, throwing a lit lantern to light foes on fire, undo someone's belt so they trip and fall), and the like instead of ranged attacks. Cuz we could achieve the same results with a bow or sling.

No wait fucking what if you can throw something at full force in less than a second. Fuck about and circumvent the 2MP / second costs.

>>5131904
>else we would be using slingshots to kill things
We did until the invention of gunpowder. See slings, they have up to 500m range and can kill big game.
Small bullets lose speed fast because they have low amounts of mass ( determined by the square cube law) to area. To counteract this you can use denser materials (like lead) or make the bullet bigger. Since Hyenus isn’t infinitely strong we would be better off using a bullet with small mass but smaller area (like lead shot or marbles)
Friction should be a non-issue unless we tried to snipe a demon from 1km away anyways.

>>5131921
Alright. Lets get some slings, slingshots, lead shots, and marbles. Assuming Hyenus has an IC reason to know about them or get them. Fingers crossed we'll get the opportunity for them eh?

>>5131928
Slingshots are the big gay though,they are like the unholy matrimony between the sling and bow that has none of the advantages.

>>5131932
It's gotta be a sling, slingshot, or bow if the QM doesn't allow rapid TK throwing action on full power per throw. What's it gonna be king?

>>5131904
>>5131943
I guess we should use a sling since we would be firing bullets.
I did the math, considering that Hyenus’es strength refers to his arm strength, and we used a 100g bullet. since daitza weighs 84kg that means he can lift at least 42kg per arm, which is equivalent 420N. That divided by the object’s mass gives us an acceleration of 4200m/s squared. If it refers to the strength of his entire body he should probably be capable of deadlifting about 150kg which gives us 1500N, That divided by the bullet’s mass (0.1kg), the final acceleration would be of 15000m/s squared.
On the low end, if the enemy is at 10m, we would manage to accelerate the bullet to 289m/s in ~0,068 seconds which is an acceptable speed for a blackpowder weapon.
On the high end, if we assume the same target at 10 meters, we could accelerate the projectile at 547m/s in 0,036 seconds, which would be a speed inbetween that of a modern pistol and rifle.
Of course now, i’m ignoring aerodinamics because fuck them and it shouldn’t skew the calculations too much.

>>5131960
A 100g lead ball would be 2,5cm wide btw.

>>5131855
You're right that FoJ isn't the most useful option for us prior to the mines -- it's the least useful of them, really -- but I think there will be an essential use case for it once we do find ourselves there. I don't trust the anonmind to go back for it later, so I'm putting forward the case and vote for it now.

>>5131201
I can see the use for Lunar Skin. When we have a higher Focus rating to make spells cheaper, using Lunarskin would be useful for a safety net of excess HP, but it's less economic long term, plus wounded status.

>>5132497
I'm pretty sure FoJ is the one spell we need to perma kill demons, so it is essential for the Catacombs. Just not now. It wont be as helpful to us if we're still dealing with the penalties from our injuries, plus we'll be grabbing more mundane weapons which dont need magical effects to kill animals.

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I made a graphical representation of the current situation regarding telekinesis.

>>5132691
This is assuming that telekenisis gives projectiles bullet speed, and the description reads that the power is based on the strenght we already possess.I think that at most it will add extra strenght to throwing rocks but not by alot especially considering its a tier 1 spell.

>>5132726
Let me dream. Let me dream of Hyenus shoving his balls in the faces of demons. I hope the QM will clarify if Telekinesis can be used to yeenus the balls at mach speeds.

>>5132691

Kek. GG no re.

>>5132726
Techincally strength is preserved, since if a person can bench press 45 kg at 1m/s2 (450 newtons), then he could apply the same 450N to propel a tiny object at retarded speeds. Usually this doesn’t happen because muscles can’t twitch that fast.

>>5132750
Can you apply the same math if we buff up Hyenus's strength and agility?

>>5132778
I would have to know Hyenus’es actual strength.
I’m just making estimates.

>>5132691
Forgot to mention cool drawing :)

>>5132784
Why not use the examples you've already made? How hard could he throw a lead ball if he stacked the bonuses of Feral Speed, a strength potion, an agility potion, food buffs, and from magic spell buffs?

>>5132868
Well, if we assume a 10% buff from the boar salad and a 50% buff from the strength potion, then our hypothetical 42kg and 150kg limits would go to 76.2kg (762N) and 240kg (2400N) respectively, giving us an acceleration of 7620m/s2 and 24000m/s2 for a 100g lead ball.
For a target that is 10 meters away, that should give us a max speed of
390m/s and 692m/s and acceleration time of 0.051s and 0.028s respectively.
The spell only accounts for strength, not agility.
I’m pretty sure that FoJ only increases hit damage and not actual strength.
Those are all the buffs I know of. And yeah bloodthirst and bloodlust exist, but we are never going to use those powers in conjuction with telekinesis, and actueally measuring his strength would be more useful.
If we want to go even further beyond, we should think about using actual spitzer bullets or flechettes, made from hardened steel, tungsten or uranium, since smashing lead rounds against very hard targets at high speeds will just make them mushroom or shatter.

>>5133018
The strength potion was debut a while ago, going down from +50% to +30% strength. Still that's a good enough estimate assuming the minimum buffs from magic buffing spells is 20%.

The bullets you mentioned, iron balls might be easier to acquire and less likely to shatter, and hardened steel while probably going to be a hassle to acquire, we can probably get. Tungsten and uranium I have doubts will be in the fortress.

>>5133074
Yeah, I’m sure the dwarves would have trouble forging tungsten on a finery or extracting uranium, but steel should be alright unless we wanted to make anti-tank ordnance.
Hardened steel means that it was quenched. An acceptable compromise would be case hardened wrought iron with a high carbon exterior (as in putting the balls in hot coals for around an hour or so).

>>5131156
>>Fists of Justice
Will allow us to NOVA on the boss demon. Our best chance. We could fake surrender by laying down our weapons and let the lesser demons lead us to the boss.

>>5133240
>Try to do this
>Miss
>Run out of mana
>Get fucked raw in the ass
Also Gnolrek is a literal god, while gigamaxxing all our skills would barely get us into demigod range. We would need something better than just punching him real hard.

>>5131156
>Healing palms

Also, I would like to ask him about fighting demons. Local species, abilities of the big one we are suppose to kill, that sort of thing. Also, he went with the soldiers to save us, so he should know a few. Is there a way he could put a good word for us to ensure we are properly supplie?

>>5133240
Remember it's only +6 strength per punch, when unarmed. The FoJ spell would only be as useful as our unarmed skill rating and strength rating. If we have to shill 60 MP for 10 magical punches, then we might be doing something wrong. We gotta kill 1 demons with 1 magic punch each.

Also remember. We're gonna get ass blasted because we haven't healed yet. -20% to our str and agi is no joke.

>>5133368
+1 a good work for us for some help would be nice.

>>5131156
>Healing palms
I want the reaction the priests will have once Hyenus learns something that takes decades in one session, and on the first try.

So yeah, Healing Palms. Fists if others want to learn a second spell straight away, if not, just Palms.

>>5131422
Is there such a way we could use the Healing Palm spell to pimp slap the life back into people? Like can they feel the sting of getting slapped, but still get healed?

Are there fighting techniques, weapons, etc. that can do stun or nonlethal damage?

>>5134074
I think you gotta place your hands above the person for a few seconds, slapping probably wouldn’t count.

>>5134074
Why would you want to slap someone while healing them?
Slaps are non lethal.

>>5131422
Is there a passive healing spell version of the restoration potion? Using the spell equivalent, in addition to the other buffing items will greatly improve Hyenus's rate of growth, unless you plan on implementing that toxicity potion idea you had a few threads back.

You said proper dieting will improve how much gains Hyenus will get? Does that mean we should stick to making sure we get our three square meals a day, in addition to snacks?

Note to self: get some drinks from the kitchen. The gnolls must be thirsty.

>>5134863
Last thing we want is thirsty gnolls walking around.

>>5131156
Healing Palms
Telekinesis.

>>5131156
>Healing Palms

For now lets just focus on one spell. We can come back later to learn more.

Alright hear me out you short sighted one eyed fucks. Telekinesis is a fucking game changer. Why? What's small, sharp, and coated in poison(holy water)? A dart.
If we can control small swarms of darts with telekinesis we pretty much can delete eyes and enemies with impunity.

Otherwise I vote fists of justice just so we can pop fuckers heads off their shoulders and rip and tear with the very glory of god.

>>5135211
We can easily come back again to learn the cool combat ones later once we do a bit of physical training.
Right now healing is important since we have half hp and from what i know that gives us debuffs in dicerolls.

>>5135211
I’m pretty sure that some of the higher level aberrations would have way too much body mass/HP to be affected by such a small wound, even if the darts were explodium tipped.

>>5135211
The spear we got in early threads was a shitty one, but one that dealt 20 damage. That's more damage than a +6str spell imo, and controlling a swarm of darts would cost 2MP (before spell cost discounts) per second, per dart. It would be really costly MP wise. Plus, high level demons can probably shrug off poisons, like how a high level Hyenus will be practically immune to weak poisons the higher his level. Right now we need to heal, so we can fight better, because we're suffering a -5 to combat rolls, and a -10% to attributes. We'll pretty much flounder about when we fight our way to meet with Luna.

>>5131284
>You'd get +3 Focus EXP per spell cast up to 20 Focus, at which point you stop receiving EXP from Tier 1 spells and need to cast Tier 2 spells in order to get experience again.
By that logic, can we in theory learn Telekinesis, cast teleknesis in 1 second or less intervals, and receive +3 exp for each attempt, for a max exp gain of 145-170exp for Focus? I'm still sticking with Healing Palms, but your answer might sway my vote.

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>>5135326
>cast teleknesis in 1 second or less intervals, and receive +3 exp for each attempt
Dunno man, seems kinda cheesy.

>>5135389
I will love the QM forever if he let's us cheese it.

>>5135435
Me too man, me too.

>>5135435
"Suddenly you start to feel weak. Before any sort of reaction was possible your body hits the floor.

You wake up in hospital after 8 hours"

>>5135518
"Permanent -20 to all rolls because of brain damage"

>>5135518
>>5135521
Worth the risk if we can level up 10 times in less than 5 minutes.
Also I don’t see why starting or canceling the spell would require any more mental effort than keeping an apple in the air.
>Brain damage
Come on, it’s not like pondering or doing an arithmetics test would lobotomize you.

>>5135544
Im just sayin it can backfire if qm is in a bad mood.

>>5135589
I don't think the QM would do us dirty like that. If we feel a head ache coming we can just cast healing palm to the head.

>>5135544
QM could easily make each use of telekinesis require a BO3. Then, roughly 1 in 34 attempts will get a critical fail. The only limit on how badly this can go for us is the QM's imagination.

>>5136009
But the same could be said about crit successes.

>>5136030
If he really fucks up telepathy, Hyenus could do any of the following on accident:
> Yank his remaining eye out
> Give his brain a good sudden jerk
> Scramble his internal organs
> Lift himself off the ground and bonk his head
> Rip apart his major blood vessels
> Rip apart certain internal organs
> Sever his nerves
> Do any of the above to Daitzsa or anyone else
All of these could be good combat techniques, but there wouldn't be enemies around when we exp grind

>>5131435
>>5136033
You know what, fuck it, I'm voting for telekinesis. It's clearly the most interesting ability available to us by far

>>5136036
* Changing my vote to telekinesis

>>5136037
>>5136036
Only as interesting if we can spam the spell enough to raise our Focus up to 20 Focus.
Now that I think about it, if the QM is okay with this strat of using TK, we could still have a decent chunk of MP to play with, but in case the QM says no I'm sticking to Healing Palms first.

Could QM elaborate on what telekinesis can and cannot do before the vote is locked in?

I remember saying at some point that there's a hard limit to how much you can train per day, but for simplicity's sake I'm going to remove this limit to keep stuff related to time easier to keep track of (at least for me). As a general rule, training is always effective until you start getting too tired or drowsy, at which point you'll get penalties to EXP gains and will need to rest.

>>5131306
>Is there an MP based herb that can give you MP?
Due to the nature of mana, no herb or plant that grows naturally recovers MP, unless it's used to make potions that, after blessing them, work as a catalyst for mana


>>5131855
>Would the Focus attribute add a positive bonus to making potions?}
Don't see why not. From now on you'll get a bonus of +1 when making potions per 5 levels in Focus, up to +10 bonus at max Focus

>We rounding down for base cost reduction?
Only when the decimal value ends in less than or equal to ,5. Any value past that will be rounded up.

>Thaaaaat means we'd get +12 Focus EXP? Is that enough to level up Focus?
Yes

>Just how long would we need to meditate?
A minimum of 15 minutes nets you 5-10 Focus EXP


>>5132691
Hah hah, good stuff


>>5134074
>Is there such a way we could use the Healing Palm spell to pimp slap the life back into people?
Sure, but the total mana cost would be increased by 20% due to not properly focusing your mana as if you calmly layed your hands.

>Are there fighting techniques, weapons, etc. that can do stun or nonlethal damage?
All damage removes HP and is thus potentially lethal. Taking too much damage from any source (fists or weapons) in one hit will generally cause the opponent to get stunned or even be knocked out. You might have trouble finding a dwarven weapon that was designed specifically for non-lethal purposes, at most you can use your fists or a blunt weapon with enough care so that your attacks don't remove HP below something like 75%.


>>5134863
>Is there a passive healing spell version of the restoration (regeneration?) potion?
No, only instant healing spells are available
.
>You said proper dieting will improve how much gains Hyenus will get?
Get your three square meals a day from the kitchen (you can ask Bob to give you a greater portion than a dwarf's since gnolls need more food per day). All the nutrients you need will be found in them. While you get no bonus from proper dieting (though you do avoid the penalty from poor dieting), eating a STR buffing meal will let you train harder, essentially increasing the EXP you get per training session

Here's everything you need to know about Telekinesis:

- Telekinesis only works on discrete objects. No picking up water or a volume of sugar

- Telekinesis only works on objects you can see. Blinking or paying attention to something else ends the telekinesis.

- Due to the nature of the spell, 2 MP (which can be lowered to 1 MP with enough Focus) will always be consumed whenever you establish a link with an object, not counting the increasing cost as the seconds pass by. This means that tossing an object in less than a second still takes 2 MP or 1 MP minimum

- Telekinesis works as a sort of astral projection, hence why it's limited by how strong you are. Basically, you project your arms grabbing or flunging an object, which means the speed you can toss rocks or darts at is the same as if you tossed it with your actual arms. Right now, you won't reach mach speed. Level up some more, get some spells and potions and you'll be able to pump your strength to enormous amounts. Then you'll be able to throw rocks at bullet speed, possibly more.

- Gotta be honest, I never thought that Telekinesis could be used to grind Focus so easily. That was totally unintended but it wouldn't be fun if I went back on my word, so yes anons, you CAN cheese it. And I'll add an in-universe explanation as to why it works and how some clever priests recur to this great method of mental training.

__________


I'll give 10 hours for anons to change their votes in case this new information changes anyone's mind

>>5136176
Forgot to add a line

- Every 10 Focus (starting from 20), you can pay attention to an extra object while using Telekinesis. At max Focus, you can use Telekinesis on 5 objects at the same time, each one costing MP

>>5136176
Well, I guess that we could have just steamrolled through everyone but the demon gods using a level 1 spell otherwise.

>>5136176
Yep. Switching vote from Healing Palm to Telekinesis.

Even if its 2MP per use, we'll probably hit 20 Focus before we run out of MP, and by then we can swing back to learn Healing Palm later to use the remains of our MP to heal 25 hp for 20 MP. It's a good deal.

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>>5136176
+1 to the spell inevitably misused for nefarious purposes

Guys how are we supposed to heal then.

>>5136435
Bruh, he already has a GF, so he has no need to do that stuff.

>>5136450
>he already has a GF, so he has no need to do that stuff.
Certainly hasn't stopped anyone before

>>5136435
wat

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I don't think there will be more vote changes so I'll close them to have more time to work on the update. Will try to post it today in 2 or 3 hours, otherwise it'll be tomorrow. Thanks for yer patience

>>5136849
Is that supposed to be us? Why did you make us eye-lets QM?

>>5136856
That’s farren, the in-game manifestation of all the coomers in the threads.

Healing Palms won by the way.

>>5136856
That's Farren, not only a Dagon follower but also an eyelet much to Hyenus' disappointment

>>5136863
Will there be other higher tier spells we can cheese? Do you suspect we will try to find methods of cheesing even if you put into place anti cheese cheats?

>>5136929
A milk+rennet spell would be very easy to cheese.

>>5136951
>>5136929
I have a cheesing idea. We learn that Health to Health HP costing higher tier spell, and cast that in tandem with our other low cost MP spells. Thay way we'll level up slightly fast. At most we should upset up is 20% of our HP to heal others so we dont suffer from wounded debuffs.

>>5136176
I'll change from Fist of Justice to Telekinesis.

>>5137051
Too late lol

>>5137069
I'm retarded.

Now that I think about it, could Daitza meditate while we learn a spell? We would be better off if Datz wouldn’t salivate when she saw a preyfolk servant.

>>5137702
+1 this too. It would be ideal if Daitza could find something to be productive with while we train.

>>5137702
I concur

>>5137743
>>5137702
Forgot to put +1 at the end there.

How come Luna is the sum of all the living things on an entire forest, yet she is so weak?

>>5137925
Lack of worship or demon influence or both. Thats my guess at least.

>>5137931
Yeah, but she wasn’t that strong even then. That’s why the gnolls ditched her.

>>5137936
She was probably stronger in the past, but likely was lacking in the allies department, maybe. We can ask her about it when we see her. "Did she have any spirit allies before the demons took over, or was it a free for all back them?" might be worth asking. If she didnt have any allies, perhaps she can re consider her stance on that with other forest spirit so we can rescue more potential sacrifices. We could possibly make potions for her followers to use.

>>5137947
>Her followers
About 2 apparently.
Even if she didn’t have any allies, the demon gods also did not.

>>5137925
The Noodle Incident

>>5138093
The what now?

We need to empower Luna through blood sacrifice clearly. I personally thinking feeding her the eyeballs of enemy's would do quite nicely.

>>5138100
What we need to do to empower Luna, is obviously planting some seeds, and breeding some more wolves.

>>5138104
Planting seeds is a good start, but breeding wolves sounds like we would have to domesticate them. Not sure if Luna would agree to that. We should ask her how to make her stronger the (besides finding more worshippers for her) next time we see her.

I'd like to think that giving her offerings like how you typically would to gods would give her a minor boost in power, or at least a stat boost so she can train better.

>>5138219
We would just need to throw some steak into a wolf pack, or give it to Luna so she can distribute the food and make the wolf population explode.
>Offerings
Give her whey so she can get swole.
Just kidding, I’m pretty sure that she couldn’t even digest it, and she could just make her avatar stronger if she needed to, probably. And I’m not really sure what else would actually increase her power, except for potions. Giving her the corpses of our enemies is a big no, because she doesn’t like excessive violence or gore.

Sorry for the delay anons, since some of you discussed a bit what Datz should do while Hyenus trains, I worked on an update prior to starting the training so you can decide what to do. I'll post in about 2 hours

>>5137925
A good question to ask once you meet up with her

>>5138539
What about our training? Is that update being posted as well, or do you require more time?

>>5138539
Meditation is good for Daitza. It would also be fortunate for us if she has any skills in magic. If she does, the first skill I'd suggest for her would be telekinesis so she can grind it up to 20 really fast.

>>5138587
She probably doesn’t have what it takes to learn a spell in 30 minutes

>>5138094
There was some wierd incident the gods dont talk about in the lore I thought. This just brought that to mind.

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"A'ight, gnolls..." Murdock says, preparing to impart his lesson. "Before I teach you 'bout magic, I want you to tell me what ye *think* it is and how it’s used by your fellow tribals. Y'know, just in case I gotta clear up any misconceptions you might have."

Daitza and you stare at each other. You’re not sure how to begin, so with a nod you give her free pass to speak first. "Well…” She meets the priest’s gaze, “Our shaman says that magic is a Devil's power running through a gnoll's veins, and it's what some gifted Bloodseekers can use by instinct to increase their strength immensely once per day. We call it ‘going bloodthirsty’.”

"Yup” you add in. “And if you control magic with your mind like the shaman does, you can also cast fireballs, summon demons and do all sorts of crazy stuff... but that takes lots of years of training, and most of us want to spend them doing more exciting stuff like fighting and kicking ass, so a weak or calm kid must be chosen as the shaman’s successor to learn under his care for a decade.”

Daitza nods at you with a somewhat worried look. “Natasha’s magic has grown super powerful lately, hasn’t it? The old man seems to be really proud of having a pupil like her...”

“Have you seen the size of her fireballs, Datz? They're almost as big as a humie! Scary stuff... but it's also pretty cool, don't ya think?"

She quickly shakes her head. “That woman gives me the creeps, Hyeny. I forgot to tell you about this, but a few months ago, I remember an occasion where I noticed her staring in your direction… with her eyes WIDE OPEN. And you know she’s supposed to be blind...”

“Woah. Really? That’s kind of weird...”

“Right?! I have no idea what goes through her head, but it *cannot* be good. I never liked her that much, you know?”

“You sure it wasn’t because she picked up my scent or something? I mean, she's got a great sense of smell...”

“Nah, she’s totally hiding something. I just know it!”

“Ahem!” Murdock loudly clears his throat, grabbing your attention and Datz's. “I see your understanding of magic ain’t so bad, but there are still a few concepts I gotta’ clear up before teachin' you spells.” With those words, Murdock proceeds to give the two of you a short lesson on the fundamentals of what this odd thing called ‘magic’ is.

1/5

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According to Murdock, magic – which is also called mana - is divine energy that all gods possess and willingly share with their mortal followers. It allows people to alter reality in many ways that go completely beyond imagination, either by using powers triggered by pure instinct if one’s soul is in perfect tune with the deity’s nature, OR through spells harnessed with the mind. However, achieving the latter requires years and years of practice, hence why spellcasters are so scarce in the world.

If a spellcaster runs out of mana, he or she cannot cast spells and must rest to recover it. Some followers of gods have higher mana reserves than others – dwarven doctors theorize it has to do with the worshipper’s health and body size, while priests believe it’s related to spiritual awareness and mental training. A few others think it's a combination of both.

Murdock claims that the most powerful deity in the universe is Anu - the creator of all that was, is and will ever be. He is the source of all magic, and other lesser deities have simply inherited a part of His powers one way or another through history, using them to satisfy their selfish desires or acquiring their own followers. “The one true God is Anu, and magic granted by Him is the only that can be considered good."

2/5

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>TIME: 13:15

"… And that concludes the lesson.” Murdock takes a deep breath, relieved. “Phew! Man, my throat is dry like a desert. I hope ya two have a clearer idea of what magic is now.”

"Thanks, dude” you say with a smile. “Those were some cool fun facts. Right, Datz?”

“Uh-huh…” Daitza nods slowly with her eyes half-closed. That's the face she makes whenever she's skeptical. “Murdock, there’s something I need to know. You said that Anu is the creator of everything that exists... but HOW do you know he’s not fooling you dwarves like Gnolrek fools our people? Like, how can you be so sure that Anu is a good guy?”

"Oh God..." Hawkodesh sounds worried. "Hyenus, that's a terrible thing to ask a priest."

3/5

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You have your doubts about Anu too, but there are questions that shouldn’t be asked to certain people… and this priest is probably one of them, judging from the scowl immediately appearing on his face. Almost immediately, Datz realizes she was a bit too reckless there. “Oh! Umm… sorry!” She smiles nervously. “That… that was kind of rude, wasn't it? I didn’t mean it…”

“Hmph...” Murdock grunts and nods, his face relaxing into a smirk. “No big deal. I’ve heard FAR worse from other gnolls. I’m guessin’ you’re the type of person that tends to doubt lots of stuff, am I correct?”

Daitza remains silent for a short while before answering the priest's question. “I… I just want the truth. We led our entire lives believing that Gnolrek cared about us…” She clenches her fists, “... I don’t want Hyeny and I to live another lie. Not again.”

“Datz…” You put a hand on her shoulder - she nods in return. You feel the same way as she does, but you’re not sure if to express it too. After all, how would these priests react if they knew that Anu’s own Champion has doubts about him?...

Murdock's smirk disappears, but he still addresses Daitza with a gentle tone. “I appreciate yer honesty, young lady. Listen… teaching the champ to cast spells will take some time. How ‘bout ye talk to another priest in the meanwhile? Surely learnin’ more ‘bout the Sky Father will change yer mind."

“Uhh…” Daitza looks unsure of his proposal. “No, no… thank you. That’s not needed. I wanna watch Hyeny learn magic.”

Murdock ignores her and looks at a young, robed dwarf who’s been staring at the two of you from afar, curious. “Gandarlig. Come here for a second.” He gestures him to approach.

4/5

>>5138834
LUNABROS???? OHNONONONONONONO

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The young priest nods and approaches, joining the conversation. His looks and demeanor are unremarkable asides from his lack of a beard, though his stoic face does give the impression of a calm, introverted sort of guy.

“Gandarlig, I’ll be busy with the Champion here for an hour or two. I want you to talk to… uh…” Murdock scratches the back of his head, “Y’know, I don’t remember ever askin’ your names, tribals.”

“I’m Hyenus.”

“Name’s Daitza...”

“Huh… those are some odd names.” Murdock looks at the other priest. “Daitza is a good gnoll who has many questions about Anu. Can you talk to her for a while? I hope ‘datz’ okay with ye, har har har. Get it?”

The cleric’s terrible joke gives the young one a smirk, though it quickly fades away in less than a second. “Of course, your Eminence. I will do my best.”

"Talking to him would do Daitza some good, I think" Hawkodesh remarks. "I've observed this dwarf from above the skies sometimes, and he's not a bad kid. Don't worry about him mistreating her."

“Uhh…” Daitza stares at you, unsure of what to do. "I'd love to hear about Anu and all, but I... I gotta do some push-ups! Sorry! You dwarves don't mind if I do that here in the church, right?..."

>Advice Daitza to speak with the priest and learn more about Anu
>Advice Daitza to train while you learn a spell
>Advice Daitza to... (other)
>Write in

>>5138571
It's only half-way done, I'll have to post it tomorrow.

>>5138834
We need more information from Murdock. Is magic always transactional, granted by the will of a patron, or can some mortals use it inherently with no direct connection to a god just by properly "tuning" into the "deity's nature", regardless of whether the deity knows or cares about the individual? We weren't on Gnolrek's radar before we picked his eye in the caves, and we didn't know about or have any kind of prior connection to Luna when we gained access to her power. Also -- the gnolls seem to be little more than slaves to the demon gods, gaining power at the behest of demonic largesse, but has this relationship ever been inverted? Have there ever been mortals that subjugated angels, demons, or spirits for their magic, if such a thing is even possible?

>>5138958
>Advise Daitza to speak with the priest and learn more about Anu
This is a chance for her to have a one-on-one with a dwarf without the drama and strings that usually come with their kind. It's a perfect opportunity for her to interrogate him about any topics of interest to her -- not just Anu -- without needing us an an intermediary, learning and acquiring information on her own terms. Maybe she can even find out some things that we wouldn't have the time to.

>>5138958
>>Advise Daitza to speak with the priest and learn more about Anu

>>5138958

>Advise Daitza to speak with the priest and learn more about Anu

She can do her pushups with him. Perhaps they shall create a bond through their shenanigans.

>>5138958
>Advice Daitza to speak with the priest and learn more about Anu

>>5138958
>Advice Daitza to speak with the priest and learn more about Anu
>Write in
Aaaaaany chance they could spare some uses of Healing Palms?
Tell Daitza that Hawkodesh says he's a good kid. I also think it's funny that this kid might be a kid in dwarven standard, but might be technically older than either of us due to dwarf longevity. Oh! Maybe he can teach her something cool, like Lunaskin or Fist of Justice, or possibly something different entirely.

>>5138958
>Advice
>(whisper)"Though, if you get frustrated, bored or whatever...perhaps you could just talk about to him about whatever? This people seem to spent years without getting out of here. Life outside the fortress might be as exotic as us being here. After I learn the spell, we can go to the barracks and train hard."

Honestly, I just want poor Daitza to have any kind of social contact that doesnt rely in us being there to translate. Hell, she might make even a friend.

Adfing to the vote:
>After getting the spell, use it to fully heal both of us
>Ask Murdock about getting the equipment for a successful expedition. See if he can intercede for us.

>>5139428
Dang, the first one cut off.

It was:
>Advice Daitza to speak with the priest and learn more about Anu

>>5139428
>Ask Murdock about getting the equipment for a successful expedition. See if he can intercede for us.
THIS, fucking this. No one here respects us, but plenty of people respect Murdock. We should ask him real nice like and tell him we would be very grateful, and if we live through the expedition we could help better the Fortress during our stay. We have many autistic ideas.

>>5138787
Wow, she’s really powerful. And I thought that she only knew how to cook.
>>5138958
>“Datz I think that Natasha had a crush on me”
>Advice Daitza to speak with the priest and learn more about Anu
Hawkodesh must not be idiotic enough to send Daitza to a rapist, right? He’s nearly omniscient after all.

>>5139419
Dwarves age about 8 times slower than a gnoll.
A normal person takes many years to learn a single spell. We can learn them in an hour because we are incredibly gifted, but Daitza is not.
>>5138969
Good question man, I think that you at least have to agree with their principles to get their magic.
>Lure out demon with some cheese
>Put him in a cage
Dunno man, they seem to take on a physical form, but they are really strong and may just despawn if they want to.
>>5139072
>Talking about lore while doing pushups
That would be a quite weird interaction. Also the priest doesn’t quite look like a muscular guy.